Elevate Firestone PondGard™, PondEasy, GeoGard™ and GeoSmart EPDM are rubber panels with high performances, the benefits are recognized by installers, professional landscapers and architects worldwide.
EPDM liner was developed by Firestone, a leader in the rubber industry. Since the early 1900s, Firestone has served its customers with rubber products designed for performance and durability. This tradition of quality has extended to the ornamental and technical pond market through Firestone Building Products, a leading global manufacturer of rubber waterproofing membranes.
In 2021, Holcim Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of building materials, acquired Firestone Building Products and in June 2022, all EPDM liners have been branded under the Elevate brand.
Making a pond in your garden will undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on the quality of your life: watching fish and frogs, touching the surface of the water, smelling the scent of water lilies in bloom, relaxing thanks to the sound of the gurgling of water, and enjoying your natural pool with family and friends.
The pleasure of a water garden will improve your habitat and will increase the value of your home!
Today everyone can passionate in water gardening; and to be able to enjoy this lifestyle, the choice of waterproofing material is of vital importance. This non-toxic membrane with exceptional durability has been successfully installed in thousands of applications around the world for various uses:
| Decorative ponds | Lakes for golf courses | Watercourses | Glass-like ponds |
| Koi carp ponds | Lakes | Wetland systems | Waterfalls |
| Natural pools and swimming ponds | Fountains | Snowmaking tanks | Water collection tanks |
| Sport fishing lakes | Irrigation canals | Landfills covers | Rivers, streams and canals |
We advise you to pay close attention to who sells liners for ponds with super promotions, because the liners too cheap are suspicious and often not suitable for applications related to the lakes. Also avoid buying EPDM liners for roofs, as they are often toxic (sometimes very toxic) to plants and aquatic animals.
Firestone Elevate EPDM liner offers exceptional resistance to UV rays, ozone, frost, heat, snow, microorganisms, and extreme weather conditions. It contains no plasticizers or antioxidants that could degrade or migrate and cause premature aging of the geomembrane. Some installations dating back to the early 1970s are still in operation today.
These liners remain highly flexible at low temperatures (down to -45°C), allowing for year-round installation. Adapting perfectly to the various contours of pond banks, PondGard™ EPDM allows for great creativity and allows for even the most challenging installations. It can be bent without damage and stretched over 300% in all directions, then returns to its original shape (it has no yield point). This allows it to absorb substrate movements and mechanical stresses, even at low temperatures, without affecting its physical properties. High elasticity is an important feature after the pond is commissioned, when potential ground subsidence, hydraulic loading, or erosion could cause the membrane to fail.
Thanks to its high elasticity and flexibility, the Firestone Elevate EPDM membrane offers excellent puncture resistance. It withstands mechanical stress during installation and maintenance, ensuring long-term waterproofing of the waterproofing system.
Firestone Elevate EPDM membrane is available in large sheets, up to 15.25 m wide x 61 m long (930 m²), which significantly reduces the need for on-site joining and allows multiple sheets to be installed on-site for large water bassins. This, combined with its exceptional flexibility and joining method, makes it quick and easy to install. No special tools or skilled personnel are required.
Strong and durable joints can be easily created directly on the construction site.
Due to its chemically inert nature, the composition of Firestone Elevate EPDM geomembrane does not change over time. As a result, it can be assembled and/or repaired even many years after installation and exposure to the elements. Once installed, it requires little or no maintenance and will remain functional for a long time.
Chemically stable, the Firestone Elevate EPDM membrane does not release pollutants into the air or water because it is specially designed to protect fish and aquatic plants. It resists algae and microorganisms that are part of a healthy natural pond ecosystem. This guarantee is confirmed by a special marking on the membrane certifying its non-toxicity. Furthermore, Elevate Firestone manufacturing facilities have received ISO 14001 certification for their environmental management system.
Its exceptional durability and ease of repair significantly reduce its environmental impact.
Its high friction angle reduces the risk of accidents caused by slipping and the membrane stays in place.
EPDM geomembranes have a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion and contraction than thermoplastic ones. This significantly reduces the formation of wrinkles during installation (important for joints) and the risk of stresses on details at low temperatures. It also reduces the risk of wrinkles obstructing water drainage on the upper surface of the membrane.
It has a high ignition temperature and stops burning once the heat source is removed. This is a major advantage for applications such as canal linings and landfill covers.
In order to calculate the amount of liner required to achieve your pond you can use the following formula:
Liner length = pond length + 2 x depth + 2 x 1 m (for anchoring the liner on the bank)
Liner width = pond width + 2 x depth + 2 x 1 m (for anchoring the liner on the bank)
Ex. 6 m long pond 4 m wide and 1.5 m deep.
Liner length = 6+(2 x 1,5)+2 = 11 m
Liner width = 4+(2 x 1,5)+2 = 9 m (for pond with rectangular plan)
Make the excavation with the desired shape and with sloped edges inward.
Dig deeper areas (about 80 cm to 100 cm for small ponds and lakes deepest) and shallow areas (about 25 cm) for plants.
Eliminate each stone or root and spread a layer of sand on the bottom of the pond.
It is strongly recommended to pose a substrate of nonwoven geotextile as anti-puncturing for the membrane.
Spread into place the Elevate Firestone PondGard ™ EPDM membrane, unrolling it carefully into the pond without drag to avoid damages against pointed or sharp objects.
Hold in place the membrane stabilizing the edges, only in some places, with brick or stone with flat surface.
Gradually enter the water into the pond, bending and placing the membrane in order to give a neat appearance. With the increase of the water level, the membrane initially will stretch and then slide inwards, adapting to the shape of the excavation (if the ballast at the edges was too heavy, so as to prevent the sliding of the membrane, this must be lightened).
Cut with scissors the excess material, leaving around the perimeter of the pond a border of the membrane sufficient for its anchoring to the ground.
The membrane can be concealed, and at the same time anchored to the edges well leveled with the same heavy elements provided for finishing (rounded stones, bricks, etc.).
The black color of the EPDM Elevate Firestone liners depends from one of the components of the mixture optimized by Firestone for the realization of its products.
This component (carbon black), while having predominantly technical value, ensures aesthetic results superior to colored liners:
1. protects the rubber from the UV rays and ensures extraordinary longevity even when directly exposed to the sun
2. properties of resistance to wear, traction, friction and abrasion are improved
3. the stability of the formulation ensures that no harmful substances are released for swimmers, fish or plants
4. the color of dark background creates the mirror effect of water and makes sure that the environment is reflected in the lake
5. the dark color turns out neutral during colonization by aquatic microorganisms ensuring an aesthetic effect always pleasant (the liner after a few months of installation assumes natural colors ranging from green to blue to gray).
Elevate Firestone's EPDM membrane manufacturing facilities are certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
These EPDM membranes have obtained the CE marking, in compliance with current European requirements for health, safety, consumer protection, and the environment.
They are also certified by national and international bodies, such as the French ASQUAL certification body.
As part of these certifications, regular factory audits are conducted to monitor the manufacturing process and quality control, as well as the quality of the finished product.
GeoGard: Reliable performance in demanding environments
PondGard: Aesthetic and durable ponds
GeoSmart: The best solution for hydraulic applications in agriculture
PondEasy: The liner for ponds quick and easy to install
GeoGard - technical properties
PondGard - technical properties
GeoGard - technical specifications
PondGard - technical specifications
GeoSmart - technical specifications
PondEasy - technical specifications
GeoGard - technical performance analysis
EPDM rubber: chemical resistence
EPDM rubber: resistence to chlorine
Make a joint between membranes 
Seal the inside edges 1
Seal the inside edges 2
Seal the outside edges
Overlap of Tapes - Reinforced with Form Flash
T-junction - Reinforced with Form Flash (first case)
T-junction - Reinforced with Form Flash (second case)
Change of a joint declivity - Reinforced with Form Flash
Waterproofing a passing tube (first method)
Waterproofing a passing tube (second method)
Waterproofing a passing tube with Pipe Flashing
Waterproofing a bottom drain
Fixing the membrane with Bonding Adhesive
Putting a flange in the membrane
Maybe not everyone knows that... notes for correct installation
Guide to the application of EasySealant
Repair of a Elevate Firestone EPDM membrane
Repair of a joint
It is possible to order 1 o 1,20 mm thick EPDM panels custom-made up to 2000 m2 in one piece.
Example: 60x30 m.
It is possible to order 1 o 1,20 mm thick EPDM panels custom-made in one piece in 3D.
In this way, when there are formal and well-defined walls, it is possible to have a piece of membrane specially prepared so as to speed up the processing and installation on site.
EPDM is an acronym for:
Ethylene
Propylene
Diene
M-class
The elastomers are part of the polymers and are divided into two main classes:
• thermoplastic elastomers
• thermoset elastomers
....
The final characteristics of the product are:
Superior physical properties
Resistance to aging and UV rays
High flexibility at low temperatures
Dimensional stability
Easy to install.
The final sizes of EPDM membranes are determined by the dimensions of industrial machineries.
The biggest membrane is 15,25 x 61 mt, otherwise, the smallest one has dimensions of 4,27 x 30,50 mt.
The Elevate Firestone EPDM membranes are commercialized with two different thikness:
- 1,02 mm (1,25 Kg/mq)
- 1,14 mm (1,41 Kg/mq)
Details for the correct installation of the membrane are present in the documentary section.
